It’s All God’s  Christians are still called to sacrificially support
Lessons in Stewardship God’s work. The poor. Provide for those who
Godly Financial Stewardship Part 2
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of your
produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats
will be bursting with wine. Proverbs 3:9-10
Malachi 3:6-12
o YES!
 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse.
What is a tithe and what is it for?
o A tithe is 10%. God’s people were to bring 10% of their
income, increase, produce. For an agricultural society, that
would take the form of the first fruits. These were to be
brought to the temple as an act of thanksgiving, faith, and
worship. The tithe would be used to provide for the Levites.
They were the tribe of Israel who was not given land but
were to serve as ministers throughout Israel and they were
to be supported by the other 11 tribes. The tithe would also
be used to fulfill the work of God in the temple and to meet
the needs of the poor: windows, orphans, and foreigners in
the land. There were times when Israel was unfaithful to
God and refused to give their tithe. When that happened,
the work of God through the priest was hindered. Hezekiah
called the back to tithe, so did Nehemiah.
o Numbers 18:21-32; Leviticus 27:30; Deuteronomy 18:1-5;
26:12-15; 2 Chronicles 31:2-10; Nehemiah 13:10-13
God equates God’s people withholding their tithe as robbing Him!
Does the NT set aside the legal obligation of the tithe for
Christians?
o NO!
 I the Lord do not change.
 Luke 11:42 – You tithe but neglect justice and the
Love of God. Should have done these without
neglecting the other!
minister in his name. (1Cor. 9:13-14) Give regularly
& proportionally according to their means, and
possibly beyond if God leads, (1Cor 16:2, 2 Cor 8: 3)
 AS the OT saints were to bring their tithe to the
temple, we are to bring our tithe to the center of
our worship of God, the local church to which God
calls us to serve.
 The New Testament does not call us to legal
obligations but to cheerful and free offerings
motivated by God’s grace.
 The NT pushes us from outward obedience to law,
to an inner love for God that freely overflows.
 A Call to honor God more – not less.
 Don’t Murder – Don’t Hate!
 Don’t commit adultery – Don’t lust.
 Got 2 coats; give one away!
 Zaccheus said I give half to the poor!
 Widow gave everything she had!
 Early church sold and gave to meet needs and take
the gospel to the world.
 It seems to me that we are not legally obligated to
give a tithe but we are set free to give of our
worldly possessions and treasures for the cause of
Christ – I can’t see that freedom beginning
anywhere less than the OT tithe! That is the free
commitment of my wife and I!
 Don’t jump from the legal obligation of the tithe
into the slavery of greed whereby you rationalize
pursuing worldly comforts at the expense of God’s
work. If God leads you based upon Scripture to
jump from the legal obligation of the tithe, jump
into a life abundant generosity that leads you to
freely sacrifice for the cause of Christ motivated for
a love for God and a love for people!
Take John Wesley for example. He was one of the great evangelists of  Return to me and I will return to you.
the 18th Century, born in 1703. In 1731 he began to limit his expenses
so that he would have more money to give to the poor. In the first year
his income was 30 pounds and he found he could live on 28 and so gave God does not want 10% of your money! God wants 100% of
away two. In the second year his income doubled but he held his you!
expenses even, and so he had 32 pounds to give away (a comfortable Where your money is, there your heart is also!
year's income). In the third year his income jumped to 90 pounds and he God’s people choosing not to bring their full tithe to God was
gave away 62 pounds. In his long life Wesley's income advanced to as not the disease. It was a symptom of the disease. The
high as 1,400 pounds in a year. But he rarely let his expenses rise above disease, the main issue, was that their relationship with God
30 pounds. He said that he seldom had more than 100 pounds in his was not right. They needed to return to Him.
possession at a time. God makes that same promise to you today! Return to me
and I will return to you!
This so baffled the English Tax Commissioners that they investigated
him in 1776 insisting that for a man of his income he must have silver
dishes that he was not paying excise tax on. He wrote them, "I have two
silver spoons at London and two at Bristol. This is all the plate I have at
present, and I shall not buy any more while so many round me want
bread."

When he died in 1791 at the age of 87, the only money mentioned in his
will was the coins to be found in his pockets and dresser. Most of the
30,000 pounds he had earned in his life had been given away. He wrote,

I cannot help leaving my books behind me whenever God calls me God’s people need to see the giving of their tithes and
hence; but in every other respect, my own hands will be my executors. offerings as:

In other words, I will put a control on my spending myself, and I will go 1. An act of obedience to God’s command.
beyond the tithe for the sake of Christ and his kingdom.

 Put me to the test, says the Lord. 2. An act of support for God’s work.

No the normal Biblical Pattern! 3. An act of thankfulness for God’s past provisions.
I will meet your needs! Needs not wants!
Financial struggles are not an excuse for God’s people to 4. An act of faith in God’s future provisions.
withhold the tithe. But sometimes, they are a result of it!
Illustration: Deacon’s Testimony
5. An act of worship to God.